28 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



NEW VARIETY OF WINTER APPLES. 



[From the Report of the Coiuuiittce of the Essex Society.] 



It seems to your Committee necessary, in making their 

 report, to refer to the report of last year. It was then stated 

 that Mr. Al£i'ed Ordway of Bradford had applied for the 

 Society's premium of a hundred dollars for his new variety 

 of seedling apples. No action was taken by the Committee. 



The present Committee, Josepli Howe, John O'Brien, 

 Joshua N. Kent, R. P. Waters, and Aaron Low, met at the 

 Exhibition Hall at Lynn, on the first day of the fair, to view 

 ]Mr. Ordway's apples, and consider the subject as to their 

 value. The apples are about the size of a medium-sized 

 Baldwin, not quite so red, but a little striped and spotted, 

 like the Gravenstein. They are said to keep as well as, or 

 better than, the Baldwin, and the trees to be good bearers. 

 The Committee thoufrht favorablv of them ; but not enouo-h 

 was known to justiiy awarding so large a premium. They 

 therefore concluded to defer the subject until more infor- 

 mation could be obtained. In regard to the origin of the 

 apples, it was last year misunderstood. We then stated that 

 the apples grew on a seedling tree in Mr. Ordway's pasture. 

 The fact now appears to be, the apples originated in a neigh- 

 bor's pasture or wood-lot. Mr. Ordway noticed the fruit, 

 thought it might be valuable, took scions therefrom, and 

 grafted them into two of his own trees, which pi-oduced the 

 fruit that has been presented. The owner of the seedling 

 tree, not knowing its value, caused it to be cut with the 

 wood surrounding it. 



Another variety of apples was also alluded to in the last 

 5'ear's report, said to have originated by a cross of the Bald- 

 win and Roxbury Russet. As but little was known of its 

 origin, and as some persons doubted the theory of cross-graft- 

 ing, or, in other words, believed that the fruit of the scion 

 does not in any case partake in any degree of the natural 

 stock, it has, therefore, caused a large amount of discussion. 



